Looking at things another way
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: Galinda convinces Elphaba to do something she would never normally do - and Elphaba actually ends up having fun. Oneshot. Musicalverse, Shiz-era. Fiyeraba-ish.


'ELPHIEEEEE!'

Elphaba made a face and covered her ears in an only slightly exaggerated gesture when she heard the characteristic squealing of her blonde friend. Galinda didn't even notice it. She jumped on her roommate's bed and started bouncing up and down in a way that sent all the books on Elphaba's bed – as well as Elphaba herself – flying. Finally, the green girl sighed and gave in. 'What is it, Galinda?'

'I just had the most terrific idea,' the blonde explained, finally settling down, but still way too excited. 'I'm going to take you…'

'You're not going to take me _shopping_, are you?' Elphaba interrupted suspiciously. Galinda rolled her eyes. 'As if that would be any kind of fun. You'd probably be trudging behind me grumbling about one thing or another all the time.'

'True,' Elphaba admitted cheerfully, hiding a grin as her friend shot her a look. 'So, no,' the blonde continued. 'I'm not going to take you shopping. But keep on guessing.'

'Uhm…' Elphaba thought about it for a clock-tick. 'Take me out for lunch? Take me to a beauty farm? I really haven't the slightest idea, Galinda.'

'No and no. Although that last one is actually quite a good idea,' she added, smirking. Elphaba threw a pillow at her friend's head. 'Don't even think about it.'

'I'm just making fun of you.' Galinda started bouncing up and down on the bed again. 'I'll give you a hint. There's something to do here tonight at Shiz, and I'm going to take you there, no matter what.'

Elphaba's eyes widened when she suddenly realized what her roommate meant. 'Oh no,' she stated firmly. 'I am _not _going to that dance tonight.'

'But Elphie!' Galinda pouted. The green girl shook her head. 'Have you lost your mind? Did you forget what happened the last time I went to a dance?' She made a face at the memory, but Galinda wouldn't let anything temper her enthusiasm. 'No, I didn't forget what happened then! That was the night we became friends!' the blonde declared, clearly glossing over the fact of _how _exactly they had become friends.

Elphaba sighed. 'I'm not doing it, Galinda.'

'Of course you are!' The blonde started dancing through the room and started to sing. 'Popular! You're gonna be popu-ular!'

'Please stop it!' Elphaba begged, but to no avail. Galinda merely clapped her hands. 'And this time, I'll make you popular _before_ we go to the dance instead of afterwards. Everyone will be looking at you!'

'I've had quite enough of that already, thank you,' Elphaba muttered, but Galinda didn't hear her – or pretended not to. 'This is going to be the best night of your _life_!' she exclaimed.

_I highly doubt that,_ Elphaba thought with a barely noticeable sigh.

_This must be the best night of my life! _she thought a few hours later – much to her own surprise. She didn't like dances. She didn't like to dress up, she didn't like to dance, and most of all, she didn't like being stared at even more than usually was the case. But tonight was different. Tonight… tonight she was actually having a good time – although she would _never _admit that to Galinda.

The blonde girl was dancing with Fiyero, being the centre of attention as always. Surrounding them were her ridiculously dressed up, shallow friends, talking and dancing and giggling. Elphaba herself was standing a bit to the side, but she didn't mind. She had been dancing all evening; Galinda had taught her a few dance moves and had promised to stay by her friend's side for the entire evening – which she had. Elphaba hadn't really expected her roommate to keep that promise, but she was glad she did. The blonde girl had even hesitated when Elphaba had suggested her to go and be with her friends for a moment, but finally, she gave in and now there she was, in the middle of the dance floor. She was wearing a beautiful dress, a pink one, of course, and her perfectly styled curls were flying around her face while she was dancing. She looked so pretty and Elphaba found herself wishing, just for a moment, that she could be as pretty as Galinda.

_Now don't be foolish_, she told herself sternly. _Being pretty isn't all there is in the world, you know._

And, even she had to admit, she herself didn't look too awful, either. She had been Galindafied again and so she was wearing a pretty black dress that she had borrowed from Galinda – who could ever have guessed that there could be something black in Galinda's wardrobe? – and had let her hair hang loose. She had even allowed Galinda to put some make-up on her face. She wasn't beautiful, or even pretty, but at least she looked… decent.

Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts, she watched with amusement as Boq shyly approached Galinda and asked her something – probably if she'd want to dance with him. To Elphaba's as much as Boq's surprise, the blonde girl actually said yes, and she smiled as they started dancing together. This was perhaps as much fun as actually dancing, Elphaba decided. She'd always liked to watch people – she had become quite the expert on human behaviour over the years – but she had never had the opportunity to watch students at a dance before. It was pretty fascinating, she decided, while watching them dance and laugh and drink punch. There were a few couples on the dance floor who were kissing, completely oblivious to everyone else in the room. Her gaze was drawn towards Galinda and Boq, who both looked as if they were having the time of their lives, and the corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards at the sight.

She jumped when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun around, eyes blazing, ready to yell at whoever it was standing behind her, but when she finally did see who it was, she stopped. 'Oh. It's you,' she said. 'Hi.'

Fiyero was staring at her, his mouth slightly open – he looked pretty ridiculous and she tried her hardest not to laugh, though she didn't completely succeed. 'Fiyero?'

He blinked, startled. 'Oh. I… I'm sorry. It's just…' He looked away and stared at his feet, face flushing – looking like this, he reminded her of how he had looked that day when they had rescued the Lion cub together. The memory made her feel just a bit awkward – although she wasn't feeling even half as awkward as Fiyero was looking right now. He avoided her gaze, took a deep breath and muttered, 'You look really beautiful.'

She _really _hadn't been expecting that and she choked. 'Excuse me?' Somewhere deep inside her, her heart started leaping – not for the first time since that fatal day he had helped her save the cub. She ignored the feeling, however, and stared him fixedly in the eye.

'You heard me.' He looked as if he wanted to run away, but he stayed where he was, even when she glared at him, looking ready to kill him. 'Hasn't your mother ever taught you,' she said slowly, her voice dangerously low, 'that _lying _is a bad habit?'

'It's not lying,' he immediately protested, looking genuinely shocked. 'It's…'

'There you are!' Galinda interrupted, taking Fiyero's hand in hers and stealing a kiss on his cheek. She smiled at Elphaba. 'Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!'

'That's all right,' Elphaba assured her, also smiling. 'I saw you dancing with Boq. You looked like you had fun.'

Galinda nodded slowly, as if she couldn't really believe it herself. 'I did, didn't I? Have fun, I mean. He's actually quite a nice boy.' She flashed Fiyero a radiant smile. 'Not quite as nice as you, of course.'

'Of course.' Fiyero was still looking at Elphaba and he looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn't. Elphaba avoided looking him in the eye and turned to face Galinda instead. 'Go ahead and take him to dance, if you want to,' she offered. 'I don't mind.'

Galinda shook her head violently, sending her curls flying. 'I'm not leaving you alone again, Elphie! That would be incredibly rude of me!'

'It's fine,' Elphaba assured her. 'Really. I think I'm going to head back to the dorms, anyway. I'm kind of tired.'

Galinda looked a bit disappointed at that and in an impulse, the green girl gave her blonde roommate a hug. 'Thank you, Galinda,' she told her genuinely. 'I really had a great time tonight.'

The blonde's face brightened and she hugged Elphaba back with her usual enthusiasm. 'You're welcome, Elphie! Good night, then – I'll see you in the morning!'

'Good night, Galinda. Fiyero.' Elphaba nodded at him, quite coldly, before leaving the building. Shivering in her thin dress, she hurried to make her way over to the dorms, her mind raging.

Because however much she wanted to forget about it, she couldn't help but wonder what Fiyero had been wanting to say to her before Galinda had interfered.


End file.
